You can hope all you want. I'll look at history. There has never been a 7'2 NBA player who had a successful, injury-free career. Yao is, easily, the best 7'2+ NBA player in history, and we know how his career ended up. Just by numbers, players between 7'0 - 7'1 miss an average of 26% of games v. around 13% for all other heights. When you get above 7'2, the average number increases dramatically. The fact is, the human body was not designed to be taller than 7'0. History has shown that every inch above 7'0 has resulted in an exponential increase in injuries. So, I'm supposed to "hope" that a 7'6 prospect will have a long, injury-free career? Sorry, I don't buy it.
I get what you’re saying. All I’m saying is idgaf, I’m taking a chance! I’m swinging, as would every GM in the league
Damn we do have quite a tough schedule to start. We could easily go 10-20… but I’m watching random YouTube vids “breaking down” our upside and I’m getting so stoked.
Boys you don’t understand how excited I am I think we are at least 11th or 12th seed I see KPJ & Green starting the year HOT I want Sengun passing flaming hot DIMES to them boys on the perimeter
I voted probably, there about to start the season on a road trip that looks like a crash course. I cant figure out the league doing this schedule wise, only because rockets got lucky with back 2 back drafts. It should be interesting to see this team diversity with such a hard schedule on the road like the they have. Heck mcgrady and vince got there team to playoffs in 99-00 year, not saying these 2 im comparing to KPJ, and Green, but these 2 could be either the next best thing, but both of kpj and green looked very good last 10 games of last year.
Warriors will still be the team to beat once we finally can fight for a playoff spot, Wiseman looked pretty, he finally looks like he will hit his potential and I would like the rockets to have another big in victor to compete.
I don't see it except in the most optimistic scenarios. We'd need to have some serious growth and one of these teams to get unlucky: Suns Griz GSW Mavs Nuggets Clippers TWolves Lakers Pelicans Blazers I still have us finishing 3-9 worst. Training camp and preseason hype in full effect so I get it, but still holding off until to the regular season.
Lakers Clippers Griz Suns Warriors Pels T-Pups Nuggets Mavs I think those 9 teams will finish above us. So for the 10th spot, you have the Kings and Blazers competing for it. I think it's possible the Rockets beat out the Kings, but the Blazers? Last year they were decimated by injuries - with a healthy Dame and co, they are at least a .500 teams. So I think the Rockets would have to win 40 games + to make the playin - just don't see that happening. More likely they win 30.
I love the positivity, but the level of improvement that OP and some others in the thread are suggesting definitely crosses that line of healthy optimism vs. homer optimism for me. I want the team to be better and show some improvement, and barring something unforeseen, they almost certainly will. But they're not likely making this large a leap. They're still insanely young, it's going to take a minute for these pieces to gel and unlike a lot of other mediocre or bad teams, there's zero motivation for them to make the play-in. Even if they've got a puncher's chance by season's end, it seems more likely that they rest guys and shoot to maximize their last draft pick before the OKC trade kicks in. I'd put their odds of making the play-in at 10% or worse. It's not happening this year. Ask me again next summer.
Uh yeah…obviously…he’s a good project to build a starting caliber PG out of. Chip on his shoulder for sure. He was once talked about very highly.
I think Warriors, Suns, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Lakers, Clippers, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Pelicans are all locks for the top 9 at this point barring a major injury. I think the Rockets are easily better than Spurs, Thunder, Jazz. This leaves the last play in spot to 3 teams: Rockets, Blazers, Kings. I would have the Rockets third on this list but things could change quickly if Dame is traded and Blazers look to tank. The Kings should be a playoff team but they are the kind of franchise where I want to see it to believe it first. So I think we can fight for a play in spot and it's also very likely one of the lock playoff teams has that major injury and slides us up a slot. After watching last nights game I do not see a scenario where we are a bottom 3 team even in the West at this point.
I remember the pureness of being a fan like this. I miss it sometimes. Kudos OP for promoting hope among curmudgeons!
As a person who is really high on Victor, this is a legit and should be generally accepted concern. If he could be an outlier and overcome these concerns we're talking about someone who can be truly dominant and unstoppable -- and I recognize that's not where he is today. For me the reward is just far too great not to be excited or at least intrigued about and I can understand someone disagreeing with that. Personally I believe Wemby's game fits his abnormal size. He has fluid movement and can score in less body-demanding ways. If you were to ask me would I draft Yao knowing what I know now, I'd still say yes. Wemby can be Yao mixed with Durant mixed with Giannis. I'd take that risk. I also firmly believe we mismanaged Yaos weight and thought that even before he suffered many injuries. If Rockets had #1 pick and picked Scoot I wouldn't be mad though. It's understandable to factor in Wembys injury concerns for his size plus Scoot being one of the best prospects in the last few drafts...
